PG&E swaps traditional electric poles, wires for first remote microgrid in high fire-threat area

Attempting a new approach to reliability and reducing wildfire risk, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) finished replacing traditional distribution lines in the Sierra Nevada foothills high fire-threat district (HFTD) this week with a hybrid, renewable, and remote power system.

Built and installed by BoxPower Inc., the system is a first-of-its-kind for PG&E, though it could be the first of many going forward. A standalone system, it uses solar combined with battery energy storage — providing 89 percent renewable energy annually — and backup propane generation to provide a permanent energy supply to remote customers. Traditionally, these remote customers are served with long electric distribution lines often threatened in HFTD areas.

Take Mariposa County as the perfect example: five different customer sites lost power in a 2019 fire when the line serving them was destroyed. Stretched across rugged terrain, though, it was a struggle to rebuild. A standalone alternative, therefore, offers an attractive counterpoint.

“PG&E is eager to deliver the benefits of remote grids to our customers, and we intend to expand the use of stand-alone power systems as an alternative to certain existing distribution lines, providing enhanced reliability with a lower risk profile and at a lower total cost,” said Jason Glickman, PG&E’s executive vice president of Engineering, Planning, and Strategy.

Those receiving power from the new Briceburg Remote Grid include two residences, a visitor center, as well as telecommunications and transportation facilities. Although designed, built, and maintained by BoxPower, PG&E owns the system. The system can be monitored and controlled by both PG&E and BoxPower via satellite and cellular connectivity.

The Briceburg system is one of hundreds of potential locations identified by PG&E for remote grids. The company intends to target up to 20 locations for deployment by the end of 2022. Some currently being assessed in HFTDs include sites in El Dorado, Mariposa, Tulare, and Tehama counties. PG&E hopes such an expansion will support wildfire mitigation efforts at large.

“PG&E is leading the industry shift in California in terms of using remote grids specifically for wildfire mitigation purposes,” BoxPower CEO Angelo Campus said. “PG&E’s example is one that other utilities in the state and across the West may be eager to follow in the face of worsening drought and extreme wildfire conditions.”